Like many U.S. manufacturers today, the automotive industry is in need of a massive HR transformation. It faces a daunting talent shortage, yet is sidelining thousands whose skills have become obsolete.
The reason — as is often the case now — is technology. While the automotive sector still requires workers who can handle assembly line tasks, what it needs even more are those who can develop and program software, manage data and keep a burgeoning army of robots humming along.
As Industry 4.0 gathers steam, tech skills have become as much in demand in manufacturing’s smart factories as they are in the technology sector. What we’re seeing as a result is that both industries are now fishing from the same talent pool, which has widened the skills gap even further.
But as we’re also seeing, among clients and others in this sector, is that there are solutions. Many good examples of these can be found in my home state of Michigan, which manufactures more than two million vehicles per year and is home to 96 of the top 100 suppliers to the automotive industry in North America.